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- Golden bullet for cancer? Nanoparticles provide targeted version of photothermal therapy for cancer
Nanocages that efficiently convert light to heat are the basis for a targeted form of phototherapy that would destroy tumors without making cancer patients sick.
- Female sex chromosomes, not just hormones, help regulate blood pressure
Researchers have determined that something in female sex chromosomes appears to trigger a rise in blood pressure after the onset of menopause. This finding challenges the current belief that sex hormones are largely responsible for regulating blood pressure.
- Monkeys choose variety for variety's sake
Given a choice between spending a token to get their absolute favorite food or spending it to have a choice from a buffet of options, capuchin monkeys will opt for variety.
- Surgeons use neck muscle, surrounding tissue as lip implant
Augmenting the lips with grafts of muscle and connective tissue from the neck appears to result in improved appearance for at least two years, according to a new report.
- Formula for making teeth will soon be found, researchers say
Each cusp of our teeth is regulated by genes which carefully control the development. A similar genetic puzzle also regulates the differentiation of our other organs and of all living organisms. Scientists have developed a computer model reproducing population-level variation in complex structures like teeth and organs. The research takes a step towards the growing of correctly shaped teeth and other organs.
- March Madness: Bracket seedings irrelevant after Sweet Sixteen round
For the average college basketball fan looking for an edge in a March Madness office pool, an expert in statistics and data analysis has some advice on how to pick winners: After the Sweet Sixteen round of play, ignore a team's seeding, which is a statistically insignificant predictor of a team's chances of winning.
- Super supernova: White dwarf star system exceeds mass limit
Astronomers have, for the first time, measured the mass of a type of supernova thought to belong to a unique subclass and confirmed that it surpasses what was believed to be an upper mass limit. Their findings could affect the way cosmologists measure the expansion of the universe.
- Erectile dysfunction strong predictor of death, cardiovascular outcomes
Men with cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction (ED) are at higher risk for death from all causes and also are more likely to suffer cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke and heart failure hospitalization, according to a new study. Treatments effective in reducing cardiovascular disease had no effect on ED. Erectile dysfunction should be considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, researchers said.
- Babies are born to dance, new research shows
A study of infants finds they respond to the rhythm and tempo of music and find it more engaging than speech. The research suggest that babies may be born with a predisposition to move rhythmically in response to music.
- New avenue for developing treatments for genetic muscle-wasting disease
Scientists have identified a promising new approach for developing drugs to treat Spinal muscular atrophy, the leading inherited cause of death in infants and toddlers. They have found that an enzyme called RhoA is overly active in a mouse model of this disease, and a common laboratory compound that blocks this enzyme can greatly increase survival.
- Computational feat speeds finding of genes to milliseconds instead of years
Like a magician who says, "Pick a card, any card," computer scientist Debashis Sahoo seemed to be offering some kind of trick when he asked researchers to pick any two genes already known to be involved in stem cell development. Finding such genes can take years and hundreds of thousands of dollars, but Sahoo was promising the skeptical stem cell scientists that, in a fraction of a second and for practically zero cost, he could find new genes involved in the same developmental pathway as the two genes provided. Sahoo went on to show that this amazing feat could actually be performed.
- Today's youth aren't 'ego-driven slackers' after all
Today's youth are generally not the self-centered, antisocial slackers that previous research has made them out to be, according to a provocative new study.
- 3-D cell culture: Making cells feel right at home, suspended in magnetic fields
New research takes aim at a biological icon: the two-dimensional petri dish. Scientists have found a simple way to suspend cells in magnetic fields so they grow into three-dimensional cell cultures. Compared with flat cell cultures, the 3-D cell cultures more closely resemble real tissues from the body and should provide more realistic targets for testing new drugs.
- Fruit flies and test tubes open new window on Alzheimer's disease
Scientists have discovered a molecule that can prevent a toxic protein involved Alzheimer's disease from building up in the brain. They found that in test tube studies the molecule not only prevents the protein from forming clumps but can also reverse this process. Then, using fruit flies with Alzheimer's disease, they showed that the same molecule effectively "cures" the insects of the disease.
- Chemical in bananas identified as potent inhibitor of HIV infection
A potent new inhibitor of HIV, derived from bananas, may open the door to new treatments to prevent sexual transmission of HIV, according to a new study.
- How muscle cells control fatty acid uptake
A new study shows that the blood vessels and muscles of the heart can regulate the uptake of fatty acids that we ingest through meat, milk products and other food. The researchers have also identified the way in which regulation is governed by the muscles themselves. The results open the way for new forms of treatment for pathological fat accumulation in the muscles which, in turn, increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Controlling structure on the nanoscale could lead to better superconductors
A new experiment shows how adjacent regions affect each other in superconductors, and suggests ways that the materials could be improved by controlling their nanoscopic structures.
- Exploring status quo bias in the human brain
The more difficult the decision we face, the more likely we are not to act, according to new research by scientists that examines the neural pathways involved in "status quo bias" in the human brain.
- New hand bacteria study holds promise for forensics identification
Forensic scientists may soon have a valuable new item in their toolkits -- a way to identify individuals using unique, telltale types of hand bacteria left behind on objects like keyboards and computer mice, says a new study.
- Studies reveal substantial increases in non-melanoma skin cancers
Both new diagnoses and a history of non-melanoma skin cancer appear to have become increasingly common, and the disease affects more individuals than all other cancers combined, according to two new reports.
- Diabetes' link to eating disorders explored
Diabetics, under the gun to better manage their disease by controlling their food intake and weight, may find themselves in the sticky wicket of needing treatment that makes them hungry, researchers said.
- Palpable breast cancers are more common in women not undergoing annual mammography
New research findings indicate that some breast cancers continue to be detected as a palpable lump rather than being found through mammographic screening. Patients who presented with palpable tumors -- those detected as a result of breast complaint or during examination -- had larger tumors and were at a more advanced stage at diagnosis.
- Yellow fever strikes monkey populations in South America
A group of Argentine scientists have announced that yellow fever is the culprit in a 2007-2008 die-off of howler monkeys in northeastern Argentina, a finding that underscores the importance of paying attention to the health of wildlife and how the health of people and wild nature are so closely linked.
- Trauma of war doubles asthma risk among civilians
Living through the trauma of war seems to increase the risk of developing asthma, suggests new research.
- One gene lost = one limb regained? Scientists demonstrate mammalian regeneration through a single gene deletion
The absence of a single gene, called p21, confers a healing potential in mice long thought to be reserved only for creatures like flatworms, sponges, and some species of salamander: regeneration. Researchers demonstrate that mice that lack the gene can regenerate lost or damaged tissue, suggesting that such an ability may be granted to mammals by blocking the effects of p21.
- Neuroimaging study describes Alzheimer's disease-like changes in elderly people without the disease
Researchers have related the findings that are emerging from PET-PIB imaging to changes in the function of brain circuits.
- Bt protein found effective against parasitic roundworm infections
Biologists have discovered that a protein from a soil bacterium used to kill insects naturally on organic crops is a highly effective treatment for intestinal parasitic roundworms.
- Researchers uncover new data about protein function in Joubert syndrome
Researchers in Ireland have gained new understanding of the role played by the cilial protein Arl13b in Joubert syndrome (JS), a rare disorder characterized by developmental delay, mental retardation, and low muscle tone, among other symptoms.
- Potential CITES trade ban for rare salamander underscores wildlife e-commerce
A little-known Iranian salamander is poised to become the first example of a species requiring international government protection because of e-commerce -- a major threat to endangered wildlife that authorities are struggling to address.
- Young Britons see significantly more smoking in movies than US peers
Young Britons see significantly more on-screen smoking in movies than their US peers, finds new research.
- New lentil being readied for market
"Essex," a new lentil variety has a lot to offer: high seed yields for growers, nitrogen-fixing bacteria for wheat crops, and a tasty source of protein for consumers to add to soups, salads and other fare.
- Family mealtimes help children with asthma breathe easier, study says
Children who have asthma are at high risk for separation anxiety, but a new study has found a home remedy that parents can use -- regular family mealtimes.
- Ultra-powerful laser makes silicon pump liquid uphill with no added energy
Researchers have discovered a way to make liquid flow vertically upward along a silicon surface, overcoming the pull of gravity, without pumps or other mechanical devices. The research could lead to the design of better computer cooling systems.
- Anti-obesity drugs unlikely to provide lasting benefit according to scientists
Scientists argue that anti-obesity drugs fail to provide lasting benefits for health and well-being because they tackle the biological consequences of obesity, and not the important psychological causes of over-consumption and weight gain.
- Environmental and social impact of the 'livestock revolution'
Global meat production has tripled in the past three decades and could double its present level by 2050, according to a major report on the livestock industry. The impact of this "livestock revolution" is likely to have significant consequences for human health, the environment and the global economy, the authors conclude.
- Therapeutics for trauma patients may not be effective if infection is present
A new study is analyzing how the immune system is involved in damage to the intestines following hemorrhagic shock. While studying the effects of a complement inhibitor given following hemorrhage, it found that Helicobacter infection changes the body's mechanistic response and would therefore affect the therapeutics given to trauma patients.
- Obesity and passive smoking reduce oxygen supply to unborn baby
Babies born to mothers with obesity and exposed to passive smoking are more likely to have health problems than others. This conclusion is based on evidence of elevated levels of nucleated red blood cells in the umbilical cord.
- Heart abnormalities diagnosed in World Trade Center workers
The World Trade Center collapse has caused potentially dangerous heart problems in responders on-site, according to new research.
- Mystery solved: Why nebulae around massive stars don't disappear
New simulations show that as the gas cloud surrounding a massive star collapses, it forms dense filamentary structures that absorb the star's radiation when it passes through them. This makes heated nebulae flicker like a candle flame.
- Smoking, but not past alcohol abuse, may impair mental function, study suggests
Men and women with a history of alcohol abuse may not see long-term negative effects on their memory and thinking, but female smokers do, a new study suggests.
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